Bahrain banks showed the highest level of profitability this year in the month of July, with consolidated balance sheets figures rising 1.7 percent from June-end, reaching $105.5 billion.
The Bahrain Monetary Agency (BMA) attributed the rise mainly to the increase in balance sheets of the offshore banking units (OBUs), that represent 87.4 percent of the total Bahraini banks' balance sheet. OBUs figures rose by nearly $1.9 billion, two percent, to reach $92.2 billion.
Full commercial banks (FCBs) and investment banks (IBs) accounted for 9.6 percent and 3 percent respectively, of the total Bahraini banks balance sheet. The consolidated balance sheet of the FCBs increased by merely BD5.7 million to BD3.76 billion at the end of July — while that of IBs fell 3 percent to $3.27 billion, from $3.37 billion at June-end. — (Albawaba-MEBG)
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
